More than 100 formators, administrators and parish staff members representing nearly 48 parishes from the Diocese of Phoenix gathered at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Saturday (Aug. 1) to receive formation on the role radical hospitality plays in welcoming individuals into the Catholic Church and forming them in the faith. The Diocese of Phoenix is seeing significant growth in tandem with numerous other U.S. dioceses. 

The Church will successfully shepherd these newcomers into fruitful lives by going beyond a simple welcome to “immersing” itself into the lives of prospective new brothers and sisters from their first encounter, said Fr. Stephen Wilbricht, C.S.C., an expert on the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and a former Phoenix pastor.  

OCIA is the process by which adults and children of catechetical age are formed and prepared to enter the Catholic Church. 

“We want to leap into their lives,” said Fr. Wilbricht to those gathered for the day of formation. “We want to know who they are and get inside their skin. 

“That is radical hospitality.”  

A former pastor of St. John Vianney in Goodyear, Ariz., and St. Gregory the Great in central Phoenix, the Holy Cross priest received his licentiate and a doctorate in theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and is a professor at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass., where he chairs the Department of Religious Studies and Theology.  

The author of six books, Fr. Wilbricht has been a frequent speaker at the National Gathering for Christian Initiation, an annual two-day conference for catechumenal ministers and pastoral leaders in Chicago. 

During a 40-minute opening address at Saturday’s gathering, Fr. Wilbricht compared the process of meeting a first-time church visitor to Jesus’ encounter with two disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus the afternoon of His Resurrection more than 2,000 years ago.  

During the seven-mile walk, chronicled in St. Luke’s Gospel (Lk 24:13-25), Jesus joins the two disciples, entering into their conversation. When one of them, who like his companion does not recognize the Risen Christ, shares his despair and confusion over the weekend’s events, Jesus opens the Scriptures to them, and later at supper, they realize who had been walking with them as their hearts burned.  

Fr. Wilbricht said the key to that meeting was not so much Jesus’ words as His method. 

“He doesn’t just tell them what to believe. He allows their hearts to discover it … to become alive once again. This illustrates compassionate patience, journeying, listening. 

“Their whole lives were changed in that encounter.” 

Fr. Wilbricht said that brand of “radical hospitality” will win the day with parish visitors, from those walking through the doors for the first time to those coming back to the faith they have left.  

Because Jesus has never left them. 

“Radical hospitality is not simply making sure we have men and women stationed at the door, saying, ‘Welcome,’ giving a handshake, passing out a worship aid. It’s about being hospitable in a way that says, ‘I am willing to be changed through my encounter with another. I am willing to be vulnerable.’” 

Bishop John Dolan in his 2024 pastoral letter, TILMA, announcing his seven-year pastoral plan on evangelization, asserted that every Catholic should be involved.  

He renewed that call on Saturday. 

“With every person who comes through the doors of our parishes or who visits a parish website, there is an opportunity to offer them an encounter with the living Christ,” the bishop said in a video message to those gathered. 

 
‘It’s messy’ 

In 2025, the Diocese of Phoenix welcomed an estimated 1,300 candidates and catechumens through OCIA — a record number.  

The diocese is one of the fastest growing in the United States, adding over 500,000 Catholics in the past decade. The nearly 44,000-square-mile diocese is home to more than 2.1 million Catholics. 

Its growth in the past few years is part of a broader trend across the United States and the world.  

The surge is especially notable among young adults. 

Diane Saunders, director of Evangelism, Discipleship and Spirituality for the diocese, said the Church must meet visitors, or inquirers, effectively from their very first encounter. 

“People do not come to church these days in nice, neat packages,” she explained. “It’s messy.” 

Fr. Wilbricht stressed how radical hospitality impacts its recipients, from soothing a troubled individual during a phone call or untangling doctrinal confusion over coffee after Mass. “Care of the heart,” he said, is a result of effective outreach. 

Following his remarks, participants engaged in small-group discussion and workshops on topics such as developing the skills to connect with Gen Z-ers, parish websites that reflect hospitality, how liturgy can speak to the unchurched and Christ in Our Neighborhood, the diocese’s approachable small-group program for reflecting on scripture. 

 
‘What I’ve been called to do’ 

Several participants expressed gratitude, enthusiasm and a sense of revitalization. 

“It really helps fill me back up,” said Terry Ann Chavez of St. Henry Parish in Buckeye, Ariz. “It is renewing me and making me remember why I’m doing what I’m doing and what I’ve been called to do. 

“I do believe more people need to be involved [in OCIA] … If you walked up to a parishioner, they’d probably say ‘yes.’ They’re waiting to be asked. That’s our job as leaders, to ask people face-to-face,” she said. 

Jim Spina of St. Bridget Parish in Mesa, Ariz., cited the emphasis on relationships with inquirers.  

“When you have [one], the dialogue about Scripture can come more naturally. The people who want to learn will [feel] more free to ask questions,” he explained.  

“In a formal setting, such as a class, people have a tendency to be quiet. They’re afraid to ask their question in front of others. If you develop a relationship and trust, the student will [feel accepted without being judged.] An honest discussion can take place,” he said. 

Amelia Sury of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in north Phoenix said that a relationship “is a process” and it’s vital to get to know each person by his or her individual story. 

Conversations must come slowly, naturally and with patience to be effective, she explained. 

“More often, they will not feel threatened [then] by a faith question.” 

Sury added that a “good number” of inquirers over the years have joined the parish, fostering relationships that include attending baptisms, birthdays and school graduations.  

“We treat one another like family,” she said.